The Strong Towns Podcast How Mr. Barricade Is Shaping the Future of Street Safety
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Sep 22, 2025 Vignesh Swaminathan, a civil engineer and project manager at Kimley-Horn known as "Mr. Barricade," shares insights on innovative street safety designs. He discusses how to make streets safer while avoiding gentrification, emphasizing people-centered approaches over traditional parking solutions. Vignesh explores the impact of self-driving cars on urban planning and highlights the importance of quick-build strategies for public feedback. He also addresses unequal investment in bike and pedestrian infrastructure, advocating for solutions that support local communities.
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From Parking Lots To People Places
- Vignesh traced his street-design awakening to working parking and downtown operations in San Jose and seeing removed parking replaced with trees and bike lanes.
- He watched downtown shift from a parking hub to a place people live and want to spend time.
Parking Mandates Shape City Priorities
- Planning rules like minimum parking requirements lock cities into thinking parking equals customers and block alternative access.
- Vignesh argues bike, transit, and housing choices also bring spending and life to downtowns.
Biking Across Dividing Lines
- Vignesh recounted biking across Silicon Valley and noticing affluent suburbs often had recreational lanes while other neighborhoods lacked sidewalks and lights.
- He described East San Jose and East Palo Alto as lacking continuous sidewalks and lighting, making walking and biking uncomfortable.